The race for the MVP trophy for the 2023-2024 NBA season has essentially been a back-and-forth battle between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. But with Embiid suffering an unfortunate knee injury -- that has forced him to undergo a procedure -- his odds are no longer available as players must play a minimum of 65 games to receive an end-of-season award.

Plenty more can happen in the coming months, making it an interesting competition the rest of the way to determine who will take home the hardware. With a few players seeking their first NBA MVP award, let's take a look at the NBA MVP odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Here are the players with the 10 shortest odds and a breakdown of the top contenders.

NBA MVP Odds

Nikola Jokic (-150)

With Embiid expected to miss extended time, Jokic has emerged as the front runner to win MVP again. The two-time MVP is nearly averaging a triple-double, producing 26.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game with an efficient 58.7% shooting from the field.

The All-Star big man is the primary catalyst of the Denver Nuggets, who are positioned as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 35-16 record. Besides having the third-most rebounds per game, Jokic is tied for the league lead in offensive win shares (7.8), and he leads the Association in box plus/minus (14.3).

Of the players with the top-four odds to win MVP, Jokic has the lowest usage rate at 29.6%. While some may knock Jokic for not having a higher usage rate, the fact he is recording his current numbers with less usage than his counterparts is impressive.

Either a center or forward has won the NBA MVP trophy in five consecutive years, putting Jokic in the pole position moving forward. Assuming the Nuggets can maintain a spot near the top of the Western Conference, Jokic undoubtedly has the potential to win his third MVP in the last four seasons.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+230)

One of the players seeking his first NBA MVP that is currently within striking distance of Jokic is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander is the player who is tied with Jokic in offensive win shares (7.8) while he leads the entire league in total win shares (10.8) through the first 50 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder boast the best record in the Western Conference at 35-15, so that is a plus for Gilgeous-Alexander right now. In terms of individual numbers, Gilgeous-Alexander is logging career-best marks in assists per game (6.6), steals per game (2.3), and field-goal percentage (54.8%) while posting an impressive 31.1 points per game.

With the mid-range specialist leading the way with the fourth-highest usage rate (32.8%), the Thunder own the sixth-best offensive rating (119.3) and the fourth-best defensive rating (111.2). Oklahoma City's net rating of 8.1 is the second-best in the NBA; only the Boston Celtics have a better net rating (9.8).

While guards haven't been favored in the MVP race in recent years, Gilgeous-Alexander is putting together a season that should put him in contention for the prestigious award at the end. Securing the top seed in the Western Conference would be massive for the talented guard in his quest to bring the MVP back to Oklahoma City.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (+650)

Another familiar name that has been climbing the MVP odds recently is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even though the Milwaukee Bucks have already made a coaching change -- replacing Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers -- they have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 33-17.

The main reason for Milwaukee's success this season has been due to Antetoukounmpo continuing to play at an astronomical level. Aside from notching career-high marks in points per game (31.3), assists per game (6.4), and field-goal percentage (61.3%), the Greek Freak is amassing 11.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.

Pairing Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard has helped the Bucks record the third-best offensive rating (119.9). Only Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander have more total win shares (8.5) than the eight-time All-Star forward of the Bucks.

With the Bucks making a coaching change despite having a solid record, Antetokounmpo has pressure to make sure Milwaukee finishes with one of the best records at season's end. If the Bucks can catch the Celtics in the Eastern Conference, the case for Antetokounmpo to win his third MVP grows even stronger.

Luka Doncic (+1100)

When looking at individual numbers and performances, Luka Doncic certainly deserves consideration for MVP. The high-usage guard is registering career-best numbers in points per game (34.8), assists per game (9.6), and three-point shooting percentage (37.4%) while playing a league-high 37.6 minutes per game.

Despite Doncic's efforts, the Dallas Mavericks have a 26-23 record and are currently clinging on to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Doncic has also missed eight games already, so he can miss only nine more games this season before he becomes ineligible to win the NBA MVP award.

Even with Doncic missing time, the Mavericks still have the 12th-best offensive rating (117.3) in the league. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have the sixth-worst defensive rating (117.9), which is the worst mark among the teams with an MVP candidate.

Doncic is never going to fall out of contention in the MVP race because of a lack of production on the court. But with the Mavericks having another inconsistent campaign, he'll need to carry them to a stupendous finish to the season for him to truly be considered.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.